I had a beautiful dream last night which I have kept in my heart all day. I was standing on top of a high hill when suddenly the ground beneath me gave way. For some reason I was sliding down the hill at high speed, headed for a swamp at the bottom. As I reached the swamp, I braced myself for the impact by lifting up my knees to shield my body.
I started channelling through the water at a fierce rate, but I never got wet. I was afraid that when I stopped moving I would begin to sink into the swamp. Inevitably, I slowed down and felt being sucked under the black water. All of a sudden, and this will sound crazy, two elderly ladies in a flat bottomed boat rescued me. As they hauled me up on to their boat, I felt an amazing peace. Then I woke up.
Acts 10:17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate.
The dream puzzled me and I inwardly asked God for an interpretation. This is what I think He gave to me.
The hill represents my strength and pride, ego and arrogance. The quake is God’s way of getting my attention and sliding downhill indicates the poor choices and bad mistakes I have made in my life. The swamp represents death and oblivion. The raising up of my knees indicates a time of prayer and the water, which didn’t make me wet, is my baptism. Slowing down and sinking represents me getting older and experiencing death.
But what about the two ladies on the boat? The boat is the church. The elderly ladies are called Faith and Hope. Now I know that at the moment of my death, whenever it comes, all that I will have left is Faith and Hope…and that will be all that I will ever need.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the gifts of Faith and Hope, which sustain us throughout our lives, and which also take us into Your Eternal presence at the moment of our inevitable deaths. Let them keep hold of us when we are fearful or depressed, vulnerable and all alone. In Your Holy Name, we faithfully and hopefully pray. Amen.
John Stuart traqair@aol.com
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA